


Stars

by citron_ella



Category: 17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future - Jon Bois, 20020
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:02:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28196616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/citron_ella/pseuds/citron_ella
Summary: Nine makes another human friend.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	Stars

unknown number: Anyone up there? 

Nine: Oh! hello?

Am I doing this “texting” right?

unknown number: LOL

sure you are

I’m guessing I’m speaking to Pioneer nine?

Nine: How did you know?

unknown number: We have a calendar. big big big timetable of when you, 10 & hubble, and juice are gonna be awake. 

Right now it’s just you.

Nine: It’s never just been me before.

What’s your name?

unknown number: Maria!

Nine: oh, hi Maria!

Do you play football?

Maria: No.

It’s funny actually

I wanted to when I was a kid, before… You know.

But I couldn’t.

Do you still do space science stuff?

Nine: Not for a long time

it’s been a while since they made me.

Maria: So?

Nine: NASA has had better technology since the 1970s

The closer your construction was to the moment, the more likely it is you’ll still be In use

I love humanity, and I love the people who made me, but there’s not much that I can actually do for them.

They were thinking of decommissioning me, at first. Archiving everything on me. 

Maria: huh

you know 

a lot of people would say the same thing about me

Nine: how?

Humans aren’t like us

a human body is a human body, you all have the same design.

Maria: not necessarily

I didn’t really want to get into this

but I think a lot of people are more like you than you think.

Nine: What do you mean?

Obsolete?

Maria: that’s not really the word that I’d use

but kinda

like I can’t play football. I can’t do most jobs. It’s just how my body is.

If you ask certain people, things like that are the reason humans exist.

Nine: Even in a post-scarcity society?

Maria: Even in a post-scarcity society.

I guess what I mean is it’s kinda bullshit 

to act like the things other people had in mind for you are your purpose

like other people get to define that for you

sorry

I don’t think I’m making much sense

Nine: no, no! I get it

I’ve outlived my purpose by over 20,000 years

I’m grateful. I don’t like that I get so little time awake,

or that the world moved on without me

but I’m happy that I get to keep existing.

Maria: you’re not getting it

to have outlived your “purpose”

they need to have been right about what your purpose is to begin with

And that’s not really possible

I was going to be an athlete for most of my life before the moment

and I didn’t become that version of myself. I physically can’t. And that’s completely fine.

You don’t have to earn the right to keep existing. It comes with the sentience.

Nine: What did you do instead of being an athlete?

Maria: Poetry mostly

reading and writing it

sharing it with my friends

Nine: That sounds nice. Poetry seems beautiful. I don't know much about it, though.

Maria: It is nice.

If you want somewhere to get started, here’s my favourite.

[ _ 2headedcalf.txt] _

Nine: Thanks! 

* * *

Nine: Hey, Maria? I know it’s been a while.

Oh, wait, It’s night time in your time zone.

You’re probably asleep.

Well, for when you wake up. 

I couldn’t stop thinking about that poem you sent me. So  I made this. I hope you like it!  


[ _ twice_as_many_stars.png] _


End file.
